Background information
on the
CONSERVATION SCIENCE TECHNICAL SESSIONS at the EASTERN
ANALYTICAL SYMPOSIUM
EAS is an international professional meeting for analytical chemists, and its five-day program covers many areas of instrumental analysis, with many technical sessions of invited and contributed papers, a group of short courses, a group of workshops, a group of tutorials, a commercial exposition of current technology in analytical instrumentation, and several social events. EAS is the primary meeting for analytical chemists from eastern and near midwestern United States, and in November each year draws many international as well as thousands of North American scientists to a convention center at Somerset near New Brunswick and Rutgers University in New Jersey, USA. EAS is organized and administered by the EAS Governing Board.
Since 1994, the EAS Program Committee and other sponsors have supported a full day, two technical sessions, of invited papers on conservation science's analytical methods and technology, the scientific aspect of the preservation of cultural heritage such as art, architecture and archaeological materials. To accomplish this, an EAS Governing Board conservator analyst member works with a different co-chair each year to recruit as speakers conservation scientists and analysts whose current work is interesting and important to the understanding of cultural materials and to the development of conservation science.
Many conservators hold conservation science in great awe, and consider it fundamental to modern preservation. However, most preservation workers are involved in direct collections care, and are minimally acquainted with details of conservation science research. There is relatively little scientific programming at major conservation and preservation professional meetings. Attendance is low for conservation science and analytical programs scheduled concurrently with restoration crafts programs. While the conservation professional literature contains conservation science chapters and articles, there is minimal direct response to the conservation scientists and analysts, who can often feel removed from the general conservation community.
Conservators often omit use of modern analytical technologies, partly in avoidance of costs and partly due to unfamiliarity with accessible analysts and useful applications. Yet when given the opportunity many conservators read articles on applications of conservation research, and admire demonstrations of useful analytical technology. Conservators enjoy opportunities to increase their familiarity with well thought out current applications of analytical technologies, especially as these methods become less complex and more economical to employ. The conservation profession benefits from opportunities to share and discuss progress in conservation science and in its applications to preservation practice.
The EAS Conservation Science Technical Sessions aim to serve preservation professions by providing a forum for conservation science research and applications at a robust and very accessible major symposium and exposition of analytical science and technology. EAS' many varied technical sessions, and its exposition of analytical technology, enhance transfer of information and technology between conservation professionals as well as with scientists in other industries. The EAS Conservation Science Technical Sessions contribute to awareness of conservation science, and stimulate related events in the preservation community.
November Eastern Analytical Symposium technical sessions feature several related papers presented during three-hour morning and afternoon meetings. In 1996 over 5100 registrants attended EAS. Past EAS Conservation Science Technical Sessions (1994-96) have included reports of instrumental analysis applications to preservation in a range of contexts, from laboratory research to collections management to project planning, examination and documentation. Ten to twelve speakers have presented each year. Paper presenters, audience members, an AIC News review, the EAS Program Committee, the EAS Governing Board and the EAS staff have commended past sessions. Speakers and audience members have travelled long distances to participate; at 30-70 persons attending each paper during past events, session participation has been comparitively high. Abstracts of the papers are published, appearing in the final EAS Program.
A conservator analyst member of the EAS Governing Board proposed the Conservation Science Technical Sessions to the EAS Program Committee in 1993. Two Conservation Science Technical Sessions were successfully produced in each of the 1994, 1995, and 1996 Eastern Analytical Symposia. Diversity for the EAS Conservation Science Technical Sessions is enhanced by each year inviting another conservation scientist to help in planning, organizing and chairing the sessions. A continuing theme of the sessions is the inclusion of instrumental methods and analytical thinking into preservation practice.
The EAS Conservation Science Technical Sessions have become an important annual meeting in the United States for discussion of research, methods under development, and currently accessible technologies for instrumental analysis and interpretation in the preservation of cultural properties. Participation by conservation scientists, practicing conservators, conservation students, scientists from other industries, and others has been very good. Thus the EAS Governing Board plans to develop and partly fund these and related EAS technical sessions, short courses, workshops and tutorials for 1997 and the foreseeable future.
Morning session: Accessible Methods for Conservator Analysts
J. Scott, Chair, New York Conservation Center
Papers and presenters
"The conservator analyst"
J. Scott, N Y Conservation Center
"Measuring and interpreting storage environment data
from closed containers"
J. Roberts, National Park Service
"The Image Permanence Institute's environmental assessment
technology"
J. Reilly, Image Permanence Institute
"Measuring and interpreting Ph of diverse media"
S. Tse, Canadian Conservation Institute
"Ph and small ion measurements on cross-sectional
samples of paintings using colorimetric and fluorimetric dyes"
R. Wolbers, Winterthur Museum
"A portable spectrophotometer provides precise reference values when
matching paint colors from historic buildings and artifacts"
F. Welsh, Paint Analyst
Afternoon session: Analytical Studies of Archaeological
Artifacts and Works of Art
R. Newman, Chair, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Papers and presenters
"X-ray fluorescence analysis of ancient Chinese jades"
J. Douglas, Freer Gallery of Art
"Analytical techniques used to investigate the palette
and color notations in Tibetan Thangkas"
K. Duffy, Winterthur Museum
"Characterization of earthen loom weights from Karman,
Kalehoyek, Turkey"
B. Price, Philadelphia Museum of Art
"Medieval Eastern Indian bronzes"
C. Reedy, University of Delaware
"Piet Mondrian's neoplastic and late period paintings"
E. Ordonez, Museum of Modern Art, NYC
"New light on an early Flemish painting, Roger van der
Weyden's "St. Luke Drawing the Virgin"
R. Newman, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Morning session: Imaging For Conservation
John Scott, Chair, N Y Conservation Center
Papers and presenters
"Imaging for conservation"
J. Scott, N Y Conservation Center
"Electronic imaging and conservation"
A.B. Newman, The Art Institute of Chicago
"Imaging techniques in the examination of works of art"
M. Skalka, The National Gallery of Art
"Imaging applications at the Harvard Art Museums'
Strauss Center for Conservation"
H. Lie, Fogg Art Museum
"Pigment identification in artworks by multispectral
imaging in the near infrared"
E. Walmsley, the National Gallery of Art
"Imaging for conservation"
J. Coddington,The Museum of Modern Art
Afternoon session: Microanalysis for Conservation
A. E. Charola, Co-Chair, ConsultantPapers and presenters
"The Mysteries of Death revealed--a technical study of Rembrandt
Peale's painting"
J. J. Bischoff, State University of N Y, College
at Buffalo
"Pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy of materials used in
Asian art"
C. A. Maines, Freer Gallery of Art
"Capillary electrophoresis: a new analytical tool to help identify
artists' materials"
C. McGlinchey, Metropolitan Museum of Art
"Elemental organic ultramicroanalysis of binding media"
D. C. Stulik, Getty Conservation Institute
"Measurement of surface roughness as a means of assessing damage
to monumental stone during cleaning"
A.E. Charola, Consultant
"Application of PIXE and laser-desorption mass spectroscopy for
understanding early American glass technology"
C. Reedy,
University of Delaware
"Analytical techniques for the study of corroding bronze"
J. Kruger,
Johns Hopkins University
"Materials investigation of the interior metalwork of the Lincoln
Memorial"
P. A. Lins, Philadelphia Museum of Art
Morning session: Science and Instrumental Analysis in Conservation
J. Scott, Chair,Papers and presenters
"Conservation science: Applying chemistry to understanding works
of art"
S. Q. Lomax, National Gallery of Art
"Ancient Egyptian painting: a study of binding media and
varnishes"
R. Newman, Museum of Fine Art, Boston
"The environmental response of museum objects: from the theoretical
to the practical"
C. S. Tumosa, Conservation Analytical Laboratory
"Image analysis and the condition of daguerreotype plates"
J. S.
Arney, Rochester Institute of Technology
"Materials analysis of a Chinese wall painting and a Chinese palace
hall ceiling"
B. A. Price, Philadelphia Museum of Art
"Conservation science and the art conservator"
J. Scott, N Y
Conservation Center
Afternoon session: Microscopy in Art Conservation and Analysis E. Ordonez, Chair, Museum of Modern Art
Papers and presenters
"Discovery of clay in Dosso's imprimatura using SEM/EDS"
B. H.
Berrie, National Gallery of Art
"Analysis of the inorganic and organic components in ancient Maya
painted stucco sculpture"
M. Derrick, Getty Conservation Institute
"Autofluorescence/emission spectra of artist raw materials using a
fluorescence microscope and a spectroradiometer"
A. E. Santiago,
University of Bridgeport
"Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy of glassy materials in the
museum"
M. T. Wypiski, Metropolitan Mueum of Art
"Three dimensional light and electron microscopies"
J. N. Turner,
Wadsworth Center for Laboratories and Research
For more info about EAS contact
Eastern Analytical Symposium